If Sam Bradford can simply stay healthy for the Arizona Cardinals, it sounds like he’ll be making a whole lot of money.
Bradford’s deal with the Cardinals entitles him to up to $5 million in per-game bonuses — plus an impressive $10 million signing bonus.
Cardinals QB Sam Bradford's deal calls for a $10 million signing bonus, $5 million base and a WHOPPING $5 million in per-game roster bonuses.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 19, 2018
Bradford certainly has a goo...

Orlando Scandrick asked the Cowboys for his release last week and was granted the request, but fans in Dallas may not be pleased about where he ended up.
Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports that Scandrick has signed a two-year deal with the Redskins.
Redskins agreed to a two-year deal with CB Orlando Scandrick worth a max of $10m, source says
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 19, 2018
Scandrick, 31, appeared in 11 games for the Cowboys last year and did not record an interception.

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton thinks the round of NCAA Tournament upsets is simply a sign of things to come — and evidence that college basketball has changed.
Hamilton said after his ninth-seeded Seminoles upset top-seeded Xavier that recruiting rankings and seeds matter less and less as talent spreads out across the country.
“I think what you see happening in college basketball, it’s almost like a revolution,” Hamilton said, via Alex Scarborough of ESPN. “

Tyronn Lue announced on Monday that he is taking a leave of absence from the Cleveland Cavaliers to focus on his health, but the coach is reportedly hoping to be back on the bench in time for the postseason.
Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the plan as of now is for Lue to return to the Cavs “well before the start of the playoffs.” The team is hoping he will be out days rather than weeks, with the postseason set to start in less than a month.
Lue, who missed the sec

Patrick Reed was upset with a ruling during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, and he implied that Jordan Spieth would have been treated differently if the three-time major winner had found himself in the same predicament.
After he shanked his approach shot into some heavy brush on the Par-4 11th at Bay Hill, Reed felt that he should have been granted free relief from some hanging cable wires. A rules official determined that Reed had enough room to take a stance, and

Penny Hardaway will be the next coach of the Memphis Tigers, according to a report.
ESPN’s Jeff Goodman reported Monday that Hardaway has agreed to a deal to coach the Tigers, replacing Tubby Smith, fired after two seasons at the school.
The 46-year-old Hardaway does have coaching experience, having coached AAU while also embarking on a successful high school coaching career at Memphis East High, where he has won three consecutive state titles.
Though this has been a somewhat messy transi

The UMBC Retrievers are facing a problem that many other successful NCAA Tournament mid-majors have faced — a highly thought-of coach who will be the target of bigger schools.
The Retrievers are, however, preparing an offer in an effort to keep coach Ryan Odom in the fold.
“We need to do within our realm what we can,” UMBC athletic director Tim Hall said Sunday, via Jeff Goodman of ESPN. “We obviously can’t do what the Power 5 schools can do, or anything near that.

Steve Francis recently opened up about the struggles he has faced due to alcohol abuse, and the former NBA star clearly does not have the issue under control.
According to a report from TMZ, Francis was arrested for public intoxication following a disturbance at a hotel bar in Burbank late Sunday night. Law enforcement officials told TMZ there was some sort of dispute between two men, and police determined that Francis was intoxicated when they arrived. The 41-year-old was transported to jail bu

A difficult season for the Cleveland Cavaliers has only grown more difficult.
The team announced Monday that coach Tyronn Lue will take a leave of absence from coaching the team due to ongoing health issues.
“I have had chest pains and other troubling symptoms, compounded by a loss of sleep, throughout the year,” Lue said in an official statement. “Despite a battery of tests, there have been no conclusions as to what the exact issue is.”
Lue did not coach the second half

The Los Angeles Rams have made some major moves on defense this offseason, and they may not be done just yet. Like the team’s fans, newly-acquired defensive back Aqib Talib seems excited about the possibility of the Rams adding Ndamukong Suh.
Jordan Schultz of Yahoo Sports reported on Monday that Suh is scheduled to visit with the Rams. That prompted a reaction from Talib on Twitter.
— AqibTalib21 (@AqibTalib21) March 19, 2018
Suh has already reportedly ha

Gus Malzahn has joined a pretty special club.
The Auburn Tigers head coach became a grandfather on Sunday. Malzahn’s wife Kristi shared photos on Instagram of the happy family, along with a caption announcing the news.
The heart is overflowing with love and thankfulness….. this blessing goes by the name of Anderson James and we are beyond smitten! #boyadventuresondeck #bestillmyheart #AndersonJames #justcallmeKissy #bornat4homeat10WHAT????
A post shared by Kristi Malzahn (@k

As a college basketball diehard, I'm inclined to call this past weekend the best of any four-day stretch in all of sports. Scripting even half of what happened in the 40 games we've just send would prove impossible. We saw history made (in more ways than one), buzzer-beaters, and absolutely unforgettable games.
We now sit with one-quarter of the teams that were alive Thursday morning. The mayhem has claimed many victims, which makes for an intriguing next few rounds. Michigan, Gonzaga, and ...

The New York Knicks faithful seems to fully be embracing the tank, but Trey Burke is not sympathetic to the movement whatsoever.
In an interview with Al Iannazzone of Newsday that ran Sunday, the Knicks guard spoke out on the fanbase’s apparent desire for the team to bottom out.
"It bothers me, but I understand," said Burke, who is on a one-year deal. "From a fan's standpoint, I understand. But from a player's standpoint, they have to understand as well. That's all I ask of ...

Michigan’s Jordan Poole had reality set in not long after his heroics against Houston.
Poole became famous after making a buzzer-beating three-pointer to land the Wolverines in the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season. Though he was all about celebrating after the win, the freshman did have to turn his attention to school.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Poole has a paper on Greek mythology due on Monday.
Hitting buzzer-beaters is nothing new for Poole. He made a similar one w

Houston Rockets star Chris Paul is looking to (literally) pay it forward after one of his teammates came to his defense during a game on Sunday.
In the fourth quarter of Houston’s 129-120 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wolves big man Gorgui Dieng took exception to Paul swiping at the ball after a whistle and shoved him to the ground. Rockets swingman Gerald Green responded by pushing down Dieng right back. Take a look:
I think we all knew Gerald Green has his #Rockets teammates bac

Cincinnati head coach Mick Cronin had a head-scratching quote following his team’s loss to Nevada on Sunday.
The No. 7 seeded Wolf Pack advanced to the Sweet 16 thanks to a 75-73 victory over the No. 2 seeded Bearcats. Following Cincinnati’s loss, Cronin said he “doesn’t care” about the Sweet 16. For him, it’s all about the national championship.
Mick Cronin asked about coming up short of a Sweet 16. "Doesn't matter to me. You care about the Sweet 16, I

Leonard Hamilton’s Florida State Seminoles are on to the Sweet 16 after a comeback win over No. 1 seed Xavier in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
Florida State came back from down by as many as 12 points with under 10 minutes to go. While they were trailing by double-digits, there were some tense moments on the sidelines. At one point Hamilton even grabbed one of his players by the jersey and moved him.
That Florida State coach just went Bob Knight on one of his players

Houston Cougars star Rob Gray had some kind words for Michigan fans despite his team being eliminated by the Wolverines in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
Gray followed up his 39-point performance in Houston’s first-round game with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Michigan. Gray stands out more than any other player on the Cougars because of his stellar play, not to mention his distinguishing man bun.
The two factors led him to become a target for Michigan fan

Ndamukong Suh is one of the best available free agents, and he should have at least two good teams to choose from.
Suh, who was released by the Miami Dolphins last week, had visits with the New Orleans Saints and Tennessee Titans. He told Yahoo Sports’ Jordan Schultz that his visits went well.
Ndamukong Suh tells me that his visits w/both the #Saints and #Titans went well. While he has yet to speak w/Drew Brees, he really enjoyed Sean Payton and DC Dennis Allen. Also realizes how much TE

Wondering how big of a choke job Cincinnati executed against Nevada on Sunday? The stats are doing them no favors.
ESPN’s metrics which track win probability assigned Cincinnati a 99.9 percent win probability after they went up 65-43 with 11:17 left in the game.
Cincinnati lost to Nevada after having a 99.9% win probability with 11:17 left in the game! #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/oXjH3n7wMx
— Darren Heitner (@DarrenHeitner) March 19, 2018
Gambletron had them at a 99.5 percent wi

Nobody was loving Nevada’s comeback victory over Cincinnati in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday more than the Wolf Pack’s head coach, Eric Musselman.
Musselman was so pumped after his squad overcame a 22-point deficit to the Bearcats that he was yelling during his postgame interview on TNT like he was cutting a wrestling promo. Check it out:
"Nothing feels better than this!"
Head coach Eric Musselman after @NevadaHoops' epic comeback victory!#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/XUftDf4st

Cincinnati blew a 22-point lead against Nevada in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, and Twitter was not kind with their reactions.
The Wolf Pack trailed 65-43 with under 12 minutes remaining in the game, but they did not quit. They fought back, tied the game in the final seconds, and then won on Josh Hall’s winning shot.
Nevada’s Twitter account freaked out after they won 75-73:

Jordan Peele sent a funny tweet on Sunday after he was confused by many online for Jordan Poole, the hero for the Michigan Wolverines.
Poole made a buzzer-beater on Saturday night to lift the Wolverines to victory over the Houston Cougars, sending the team to the Sweet 16. His name is pretty similar to Jordan Peele, which led the actor/writer/director/producer, to tweet this:
I wanna thank everyone for the congratulatory messages. When you practice your jump shot as much as I have, you just ho

UMBC’s upset win over Virginia has led to a whole lot of attention being focused on the school that they’re not used to.
One prominent example? Up until now, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, the school had never felt the need to trademark “Retrievers,” their nickname. That, Rovell says, is quickly being changed now that UMBC is the hottest story in sports.
Two attorneys quickly notified the school that their nickname wasn’t trademarked, and athletic directo

After just one year in Oakland, Cordarrelle Patterson is reportedly on the move again.
The Raiders are reportedly trading Patterson to the New England Patriots after a year with the team.
Breaking – Reports out of Oakland, recurring guest WR Cordarrelle Patterson expected to be traded to the Patriots per sources. Please credit
— Pardon My Take (@PardonMyTake) March 18, 2018
The #Raiders are trading Cordarrelle Patterson to the #Patriots, pending physical, source confirms (as firs

Michigan State coach Tom Izzo couldn’t find a way to get his team better looks late in their loss to Syracuse — but he left two of his key players on the bench during crunch time.
Izzo leaned on sixth-year senior Ben Carter in the center of the Syracuse zone late in the 55-53 loss while freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. and sophomore Nick Ward sat on the bench.
Jackson is a projected lottery pick, and Ward had put up 10 points in 16 minutes of action before Izzo relegated him to cheerleade

UMBC got a special delivery ahead of their second-round NCAA Tournament game on Sunday night.
The Retrievers, who pulled a historic upset over top-seeded Virginia on Friday night, are sponsored by Under Armour for their apparel. Steph Curry is Under Armour’s most well known basketball player, so they did some collaboration. Curry sent UMBC some unreleased shoes and new swag for their game:
Thanks to @StephenCurry30 for hooking @UMBC_MBB up with unreleased shoes and new swag for tonightâ€...

The Michigan State Spartans missed their last 14 shots in their upset loss to the Syracuse Orange on Sunday, and many will credit Jim Boeheim’s famed 2-3 zone for causing the Spartans all those problems.
Boeheim, however, thinks there was another factor in play — namely that the Spartans playing in Detroit in front of a partisan crowd hindered them as the pressure was cranked up.
Boeheim said he thinks Michigan State played tight down the stretch because it was essentially playing

The injury to Purdue center Isaac Haas meant that freshman Matt Haarms had an expanded role on Sunday, and that helped make a viral star out of his hair.
Haarms’s well-coiffed head of hair required frequent care and adjustment during the game against Butler, and pretty much everyone watching took notice.
Here is a supercut of Matt Haarms adjusting his hair within 2 seconds of every play ending pic.twitter.com/p6CHvAS2L9
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) March 18, 2018
Stylin'

As much as Purdue center Isaac Haas wanted to find a way to play through his elbow fracture, it sounds like it won’t happen for many reasons.
Perhaps the largest is that the NCAA would have to approve any brace he would wear during a game, and the one he tested during practice did not pass NCAA standards, according to NCAA media coordinator David Worlock.
Isaac Haas tried wearing a brace to protect his elbow. In accordance with the NCAA MBB rules book, the officials inspected it and dete

JuJu Smith-Schuster is not buying Vontaze Burfict’s excuse for his PED excuse.
Burfict is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s drug policy, but according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, he’s planning to base his rebuttal on the argument that he was prescribed medication for a concussion stemming from a hit by Smith-Schuster.
The Steelers receiver found this to be hilarious.
Lol you can't be serious — JuJu Smith-Schuster (@TeamJu...

The North Carolina men’s basketball team was dealing with some off-court drama during last week’s ACC Tournament.
While the team was at the Barclays Center to play through the conference tournament, someone broke into the Dean E. Smith Center back on campus and stole valuables from the locker room and basketball offices.
UNC Police is asking for assistance identifying this person of interest in abreak-in to the Smith Ctr, men's basketball offices, & locker rooms earlyFri. morning...

Becky Hammon has turned down a big opportunity in favor of remaining with the San Antonio Spurs.
Yahoo Sports’ Pat Forde reported on Saturday that Hammon has turned down the Colorado State men’s basketball head coaching job. Instead, Hammon will remain as an assistant with the Spurs.
Y sources: After extensive conversations with Colorado State, Becky Hammon is opting to stay in the NBA with the Spurs.
— Pat Forde (@YahooForde) March 17, 2018
Colorado State is looking for a

The first round of the NCAA Tournament collects tons of attention and praise as one of the premier events in sports. The second round is relatively underappreciated by comparison, though based on what happened Saturday, that may change.
Between the finishes in the Michigan-Houston game and Loyola Chicago-Tennessee, it was hard to top the action from Saturday. We saw half the second round on Saturday, providing half of our Sweet Sixteen teams. No matter if those teams were expected or total surp

Few images can capture the essence of March Madness better than this one.
Michigan defeated Houston 64-63 on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on a heave by Jordan Poole at the buzzer. It was the kind of deep buzzer-beater that will go on highlight reels forever.
After the improbable shot went in, the Wolverines celebrated, while the Cougars collapsed in disbelief. Senior Devin Davis went to the ground knowing that this was how his college career ended.
pic.twitter.com/zAsnT

March Madness may have started slowly this year, but it’s certainly earning its name now.
Michigan knocked out Houston with a deep buzzer-beater by Jordan Poole to beat the Cougars 64-63 on Saturday. Houston appeared to have the game in hand, but they made the fatal flaw of missing two free throws that could have put the game out of reach. Compounding that, they failed to guard the inbound pass, allowing Michigan to get a decent look. Poole took care of the rest.
ONIONS https://t.co/fLbM

The man buns run in the Gray family.
Rob Gray, who is Houston’s star player, has made a name for himself in the NCAA Tournament thanks not only to his play, but also his style. The guard has a man bun that has been the talk of the tournament. And guess what? His little brother is easily identifiable by the man bun he wears too.
Gray’s little brother was shown by TBS multiple times during Houston’s second round game against Michigan.
Rob Gray's little brother's manbun

San Antonio Spurs fans have plenty of reasons to be frustrated with Kawhi Leonard, but Pau Gasol is cautioning them.
Leonard has missed most of the season due to a quad injury. He returned in December and then was shut down again in January. Then when it looked like he would return on Thursday, the Spurs said that wouldn’t happen because Leonard had not received medical clearance from his medical staff.
With the Spurs narrowly holding on to a playoff spot in the West, they’d love t

Lane Kiffin’s Twitter bravado knows no bounds.
Kiffin appeared to troll the Alabama football program yet again when he responded to a tweet. During Friday night’s Virginia-UMBC game, sports personality Clay Travis asked if there was a top team that was as boring to watch as Virginia.
I rescind my criticism of Auburn-Charleston. UVa-UMBC is brutal. Can y'all remember the top team in a sport that was this boring to watch?
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) March 17, 2018
Kiffin res...

There were some who were much happier about Kansas’ win over Seton Hall in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday than others.
Kansas beat Seton Hall 83-79 to advance to the Sweet 16. They had the game in hand in the final seconds, leading Seton Hall to begin sharing some goodbye hugs. But before the buzzer sounded, Myles Powell threw up a three-pointer that went in to help the Pirates cover the spread.
Kansas -4.5. This is why it's impossible to win in March pic.twitter.com/...

Tyronn Lue did not come to coach the Cavaliers for the second half of their game on Saturday in Chicago.
When Cleveland came out for the third quarter of their game against the Bulls, they did so without their head coach, who stayed behind in the locker room.
As @KCJHoop just told us, Tyronn Lue is not on the bench. This would be the third game and second against Chicago he's been unable to coach because of an illness
— Joe Vardon (@joevardon) March 18, 2018
Larry Drew took over as

Sister Jean will have a lot of questions to answer in the Loyola Chicago locker room.
Sister Jean is the 98-year-old team chaplain for Loyola Chicago who has accompanied the team to the NCAA Tournament. She showed a lot of faith in her Ramblers by picking them to reach the Sweet 16 of the tourney. However, she had them exiting after that.
When told about the lack of faith from Sister Jean, Clayton Custer, who made the winning basket to beat Tennessee, said they would have to prove Sister Jean

Clayton Custer sent Loyola Chicago to the Sweet 16 by hitting a game-winning shot in the final seconds of the team’s second-round game against Tennessee on Saturday.
The Ramblers were down 62-61 after the Vols made a free throw with 21 seconds left. Custer, the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, delivered with an elbow jumper that bounced in with 3.6 seconds left.
Former Cyclone Clayton Custer is clutch as can be!! pic.twitter.com/5UcOGfaTpy
— Barstool ISU (@BarstoolISU

Former NBA player Glen “Big Baby” Davis responded via Instagram on Saturday to a report that he was arrested on drug charges last month.
This past week, it was reported by a television news station in Baltimore that Davis was arrested at a hotel with a large amount of marijuana. Nearly $100,000 in cash was also present.
On Saturday, Davis posted a video to his Instagram account of himself on an airplane sitting next to briefcase full of cash. He urged the public to not believe every

When the Los Angeles Angels surprisingly signed Japanese star Shohei Ohtani in December, the prevailing thought was that they had landed a front-end starter who could help them with a playoff push. There were some considerations that Ohtani could even bring some power to the lineup as an occasional DH.
But after Ohtani has struggled as both a hitter and pitcher in spring training, there are now no guarantees that he even makes the club’s Opening Day roster.
Speaking on Friday, Angels GM

Loyola Chicago’s 98-year-old team chaplain has faith in her team — but not too much faith.
Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt has become something of a viral sensation after the Ramblers upset Miami in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which has led to a whole lot of interviews and talk about how her prayers are clearly working for the squad.
Sister Jean thinks the Ramblers are bound for the Sweet Sixteen — but according to the CBS telecast, that’s where she sees the run

Vinny Curry is heading to Tampa Bay following his release by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Curry is getting a 3-year deal worth up to $27 million, with $11.5 million guaranteed, according to ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
Curry was drafted by the Eagles in 2012 and had been with them his entire career. They were hoping he would take a pay cut, but instead he refused and hit the market as a free agent. Thanks to his deal with the Bucs, Curry will end up making what he was set to earn in Philly.
Curry has

Rhode Island coach Dan Hurley was not going to discuss other jobs in the wake of his team’s NCAA Tournament loss.
The Rams lost 87-62 to Duke, ending their season and giving way to a lot of uncertainty about the highly-touted Hurley’s future. Linked to other jobs, Hurley himself was not in any mood to talk about his future after the defeat.
Dan Hurley: "I could give a crap about who has an opening right now." Hurley is the frontrunner for UConn.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanES...

Star Purdue center Isaac Haas was ruled out of the NCAA Tournament after fracturing his elbow in Friday’s win, but he’s refusing to accept that diagnosis.
According to CBS’s Allie LaForce, Haas practiced Saturday with a brace on his elbow and is pushing for NCAA clearance in order to possibly play against Butler on Sunday despite the injury.
Isaac Haas practiced w/@BoilerBall this afternoon. He had a brace on his fractured elbow. Brace needs to be cleared by NCAA. IF it is cl

UMBC’s upset win over Virginia gave hope to underdogs everywhere, including one who still feels like they didn’t get their fair shot at the would-be champions.
UCF, who went undefeated in college football but were left out of the four-team playoff, used the Retrievers’ upset to make a point about expanded playoffs giving underdogs a chance.
Amazing what happens when an under "dog" gets a fair shot in an expanded playoff
Congrats on the history, @UMBCAthletics
— UC...

UMBC’s win over Virginia was enough to end any chance of anyone putting together a perfect bracket in ESPN’s Tournament Challenge.
ESPN said Sunday night that the UMBC upset meant that the first round of the tournament concluded with no perfect brackets intact.
And then there were none. pic.twitter.com/tnHOALbksr
— ESPN (@espn) March 17, 2018
Sometimes a handful of brackets sneak into the third day of the tournament intact after someone nailed the winners of the first 32 gam

Tyrann Mathieu had refused to take a pay cut to stay with the Arizona Cardinals, but he was willing to do so to join the Houston Texans.
According to Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic, the Cardinals would have been willing to pay Mathieu $8 million in 2018, but he ultimately chose to join Houston for $7 million.
Source confirmed #AZcardinals willing to pay Mathieu $8 million in 18. He Declined and took possible $7 million from Texans.
— Kent Somers (@kentsomers) March 17, 2018
Mathie

The New York Jets have made the first major move to shake up the NFL Draft order.
The Jets and Indianapolis Colts have agreed to a trade that will see the Jets land the No. 3 overall pick in exchange for the sixth pick and three second-round selections.
To recap: pic.twitter.com/Tl53AcH6fE
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 17, 2018
The move ensures that the Jets will have their choice of at least two of the top quarterbacks in the draft and possibly more, depending on what the Cleve

The MLB season may still be a couple of weeks away, but the Oakland Athletics are already getting in some shots at their crosstown rivals.
The meme du jour that has been lighting Twitter on fire this week has been (another) “SpongeBob SquarePants”-themed one. The basic meme template features a logo or likeness Photoshopped onto an image of the Krusty Krab, the town’s most popular restaurant in the TV show. A competing one is also Photoshopped onto an image of The Chum Bucket,

Utah Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey was none too pleased about the lack of calls by the referees on Jared Dudley and Marquese Chriss on Thursday.
Tempers flared during third quarter of the game between the Jazz and Phoenix Suns. After Utah inbounded the ball following a missed dunk by Chriss, Ricky Rubio was shoved by Dudley. He was then pushed to the floor by Chriss.
Dudley cheap shots @rickyrubio9 Broo-ha-ha ensues. @Joeingles7 steps in! Players will be tossed. #TakeNote #UtahJazz #PHX

A documentary alleges that Aaron Hernandez was gay and struggled with the secret about his sexuality.
According to TMZ Sports, Oxygen has a documentary set to air this weekend called “Aaron Hernandez Uncovered” that explores the late former NFL player’s sexuality. In the documentary, several of the people interviewed apparently say that Hernandez was gay.
The sources include Hernandez’s college girlfriend, who claims the former tight end had a relationship with a man in

If you had any doubts about whether or not March would truly go mad, Friday answered those doubts with authority. We saw close games up and down the slate of games, highlighted by a historic upset.
For thirteen consecutive hours Friday, the NCAA Tournament treated fans to non-stop action. While some fans may grumble about how that action affected their favorite team or their bracket, the drama could not be topped. From a neutral perspective, Friday's collection of games were as juicy and as r...

As if everything about UMBC’s upset win over Virginia weren’t already awesome enough, there is this extremely cool anecdote to add to the mix.
Ryan Odom, the head coach of UMBC, was once upon a time the ballboy for Virginia’s basketball team.
Just a reminder: The last time @UVAMensHoops was #1 this was their ball boy. That ball boy is now @UMBC_MBB head coach Ryan Odom. Tonight it all comes full circle. pic.twitter.com/ZrhiyMTXJv
— Wayne Drehs (@espnWD) March 17, 2018

Even after what was probably the toughest loss of his coaching career, Tony Bennett was incredibly professional.
The Virginia coach gave an interview to TNT’s Tracy Wolfson after his team’s 74-54 defeat at the hands of UMBC, which marked the first upset by a 16 seed over a 1 seed in NCAA Tournament history. Bennett credited his opponent and did not mince words about how one-sided the game was.
“We got our butts whipped. That was not even close,” Bennett said. “Thei

Someone is about to be $10,000 lighter in the pocket.
Derek Sharrer, the GM of the independent St. Paul Saints baseball team, will now have to give away $10K after a promotion he was running backfired.
The Saints announced on Twitter Monday that Sharrer would give away $10K if a 16 seed beat a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
We don't have a billion dollars like @WarrenBuffett, but our GM @DerekSharrer has officially gone mad. The Saints will give away $10,000 if a 16 seed beats a 1 seed in

The play of 16 seed UMBC during its NCAA Tournament game against 1 seed Virginia on Friday was certainly special. What’s incredible is that UMBC’s Twitter account may have put together an even more impressive performance.
UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County) made history by becoming the first 16 seed to defeat a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That’s only half the story; they beat the No. 1 overall seed in the entire tournament, and they beat them badly.
During the w

Former NBA big man Glen Davis is back in the news again, but it is definitely not in the positive sense this time around.
Brian Kuebler of WMAR-TV in Baltimore reported on Friday that Davis, famously nicknamed “Big Baby,” was arrested in February on drug charges after being caught at a Hampton Inn in Aberdeen, Maryland with a large amount of marijuana. Court records showed that the hotel’s owner smelled marijuana coming from Davis’ room on Feb. 7 and, upon knocking on th

Tyrann Mathieu is heading to Houston, and JJ Watt loves it.
The Honey Badger agreed to a one-year, $7 million deal with the Texans, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Watt learned of the news and sent this perfect tweet featuring some honey pot emojis.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 17, 2018
This is a huge addition for the Texans. Mathieu remains an excellent playmaker and was dropped by the Cardinals after he declined to take a pay cut.
Mathieu, who turns 26 in May, had 78 to

A gaff by CBS placed legendary Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim at a school other than Syracuse.
During the NCAA Tournament first round game between Syracuse and TCU on Friday, CBS’ cameras showed Boeheim on the sideline. Under his name was the Syracuse logo, along with an orange background. To the right were the words “3rd season as Bucknell head coach.” Also displayed was a record of 68-32.
Ummm …you guys … pic.twitter.com/7sBGycBRdu
— Brent Axe (@BrentAxeM

The Detroit Lions were in the market for a running back, and it looks like they’ve found their man.
LeGarrette Blount has agreed to a one-year deal with Detroit for $4.5 million, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport. That’s a hefty price for any running back, and even more so for Blount. The veteran played for around $1 million in 2016 and won a Super Bowl with the Patriots. Then he made $1.25 million last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, for whom he won another Super Bow

Bruce Pearl’s Auburn Tigers got past the College of Charleston 62-58 in a tight game on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Afterwards, Pearl shouted out Charles Barkley.
In his postgame interview with truTV, Pearl said the Tigers pulled out the win so that Chuck wouldn’t have to endure mocking from his colleagues over his alma mater being upset.
“I’m glad we survived and advanced so that Kenny (Smith) and Clark (Kellogg) can’t give Charles a boatload

The Golden State Warriors are dropping like flies.
As if being without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, weren’t already enough, now Kevin Durant is banged up.
The Warriors announced on Friday that Durant will miss two weeks due to a rib injury. An MRI revealed an incomplete rib cartilage fracture.
Kevin Durant's MRI results: Incomplete rib cartilage fracture, re-evaluated in two weeks. More brutal injury news for the Warriors.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) March 17, 2018

Mo Bamba is not ready to talk about his professional future yet.
Bamba’s Texas Longhorns blew a 14-point lead and lost a heartbreaker to Nevada in overtime on Friday. The defeat ends the Longhorns’ season, and quite likely, Bamba’s college career.
The freshman big man was asked about the NBA following the game, but he deflected the question.
“I’m not too concerned about that right now,” Bamba said, via ESPN. “I’m still processing.”
Bamba had

North Carolina did it. They finally had a good game defending the three.
North Carolina beat Lipscomb 84-66 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Best of all for coach Roy Williams is that the Tar Heels held the Bisons to 25 percent shooting on threes (7-for-28). That was key to getting the win, especially considering how poorly they’ve done against the three all season.
Williams made reference to that in his postgame press conference.
Roy Williams: "We are the remedy fo

Leave it to the New England Patriots to reshape with some quiet free agent signings.
After not making much noise very early, the Pats have picked their spots and on Friday reached deals with two players.
The Patriots signed Adrian Clayborn to a two-year, $12 million contract. Clayborn has become a disruptive pass rusher and racked up a career high 9.5 sacks last season with Atlanta. He’ll team with Trey Flowers to give the Pats a couple of good pass rushers.
New England also signed runnin

Nevada coach Eric Musselman was understandably pumped up after his team came back from 14 points down to beat the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Musselman was so pumped, in fact, that he let loose several f-bombs in the locker room, which TBS showed live. Be warned, there is obviously very strong language here.
Musselman, my man pic.twitter.com/gl949MzUph
— Big Ten Geek (@bigtengeek) March 16, 2018
Studio host Greg Gumbel immediately apologized on the air for

CBS is well aware of the countless complaints that were lodged on social media during its first round coverage of the NCAA Tournament from Boise, and the network is hoping to remedy the situation before Saturday.
The issue was first brought to light during Gonzaga’s win over UNC Greensboro at the Taco Bell Arena. With the way the main television camera for the game was positioned, it was extremely difficult to follow the action and almost impossible to see the rim and net on one end of th

Purdue center Isaac Haas is arguably the most physically intimidating presence in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, and you might be even more impressed by his stature when you hear the amount of food the senior has put back in one sitting.
Haas is currently listed at 7-foot-2, 290 pounds. During the CBS broadcast of Purdue’s game against Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Ian Eagle said the big man weighed well over 300 pounds at one point and was known to eat 40 chicken strips at a time.
"This is

Former Seattle Seahawks defensive back Richard Sherman thinks he knows why the team had started to slide a bit in recent seasons under coach Pete Carroll.
Sherman told the Uninterrupted’s “Thomahawk Show” that Carroll’s philosophy, perfected in college where there is regular roster turnover, had grown tired to Seahawks veterans who had been with the team for virtually his entire tenure.
“I think it was kind of philosophical on his part,” Sherman said of Carro

Vontaze Burfict was suspended for the first three games of the 2017 season for an illegal hit during a preseason game, and the Cincinnati Bengals linebacker may find himself ineligible for the first several games of 2018 as well.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that Burfict is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug use policy.
Bengals' LB Vontaze Burfict is facing a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's Performance-Enhancing Drug po...

If you were hoping to keep a detailed stat sheet on Cal State Fullerton freshman Josh Josh Pitts in his team’s NCAA Tournament game against Purdue on Friday, hopefully you caught the memo that he was forced to switch jersey numbers early on.
Roughly seven minutes into the first half, Pitts nearly had his jersey torn right off his back by Purdue center Isaac Haas while the two were fighting for position in the paint.
UPDATE: ISAAC HAAS IS STRONG. pic.twitter.com/pRcF2corsC
— CBS Spo

Jim Brown is not the only legendary NFL running back who disagrees with national anthem protests as a form of political demonstration.
In a wide-ranging interview with Tim Graham of the Buffalo News, O.J. Simpson said he does not feel that kneeling during the national anthem is an effective way of protesting racial inequality.
“I think Colin made a mistake,” Simpson said. “I really appreciate what he was trying to say. I thought he made a bad choice in attacking the flag.
R

Providence basketball coach Ed Cooley infamously split his pants during the Big East Tournament final earlier this month, and he likely never imagined the wardrobe malfunction would lead to a full-blown fashion trend.
After he ripped his pants, Cooley improvised by wrapping some Gatorade towels around his waste to cover up the problem. He joked about the incident days later by wearing a towel while walking around his office.
Preparing for Texas A&M… @BarstoolBigCat @PardonMyTake pic.twit

Stephen F. Austin was unable to pull off an upset win over Texas Tech in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, but the No. 14 seed’s head coach is almost certainly going to take home the honor of most unique excuse for losing.
Following his team’s 70-60 loss, Stephen F. Austin head coach Kyle Keller criticized the millennials on his team for not taking the time to watch basketball and scout opponents.
"The Millennials today, they don’t even watch college basketball,̶...

The Boston Celtics will be without Marcus Smart for at least the remainder of the regular season, but they are hoping the hard-nosed point guard can return in time to help them at some point in the playoffs.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Smart was scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb. While we may not see him again this year, the Celtics remain hopeful.
Celtics guard Marcus Smart will undergo surgery on his thumb today, but there

It’s no secret that all of those involved with the University of Central Florida and its football team feel that the Knights were the best team in the country last season, but Kirk Herbstreit has had enough of them crowning themselves national champions.
Herbstreit was critical of the fans and program for their “title-winning” celebrations, arguing that the school is damaging its brand by continuing to play up that angle.
Just enjoy a magical-incredible year. You're damagin...

Arizona suffered a stunning blowout loss to the little-known University at Buffalo in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, sending the Internet into an absolute frenzy.
The No. 4-seeded Wildcats fell to the No. 13 seeded-Bulls in a stunningly one-sided 89-68 affair. Bombarded by a three-point shooting barrage right from the opening whistle, Arizona completely collapsed in the second half and never made it back within single digits in the final 10 minutes of the game.
The loss cap

There's nothing like the anticipation of the first day of March Madness. I shake and squirm all morning until the first game tips off, before settling in to more than 12 hours of high-level basketball.
With so many games and such rich storylines, it's almost impossible for it to ever live up to the hype. Just when you start to get down on your bracket or the excitement of the day, an upset or buzzer-beater shows up out of nowhere.
This year was no exception, with the first day of tournament...

LeBron James and Ty Lue had a tense exchange late in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ game at Portland on Thursday night.
As James was on the bench, he looked over Lue’s way and the two had words for each other:
Coach LeBron putting Ty Lue in his place pic.twitter.com/VY73Yz7uhS
— gifdsports (@gifdsports) March 16, 2018
The Vertical’s Chris Mannix says Lue had issues with James’ shot selection, leading to the exchange. Apparently the two also traded words on consecutive

Doc Rivers was critical of the referees after his Los Angeles Clippers lost to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.
The Rockets beat the Clippers 101-96, and one of Rivers’ big gripes had to do with the difference in free throws. Houston attempted 23 free throws, compared to just eight for the Clippers. That’s what he brought up after the game.
Doc Rivers rips the officials. They shot 41 3s; we shot 18. We doubled them in the amount of points in the paint and it was 24-8 in free

The health of Michael Porter Jr. was one of the biggest questions entering the NCAA Tournament. Now we have an answer about his status.
Porter told the media on Thursday that he is at about 70 percent entering Friday’s game against Florida State. Porter injured his back in Missouri’s first game of the season and underwent surgery. He returned for the Tigers’ loss to Georgia in the SEC Tournament.
Porter told reporters that he was at about 65 percent for the game against Georgi

Ryan Shazier was in attendance for several first-round games of this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The Steelers linebacker took some time out of his schedule to take in the day’s games in Pittsburgh, which included Villanova-Radford, Virginia Tech-Alabama, Oklahoma-Rhode Island, and Duke-Iona.
Ryan Shazier in the house for Alabama vs. Virginia Tech pic.twitter.com/SNljjlwpfQ
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) March 16, 2018
According to Yahoo! Sports’ Pat Forde, Shazier was snack

Steve Alford seems to have worn out his welcome in Westwood.
A banner calling for the firing of the UCLA basketball coach was spotted flying over campus on Thursday. It read, “Final Fours Not First Fours #FireAlford,” in reference to the Bruins’ loss to St. Bonaventure in the First Four play-in.
This is currently flying over UCLA tonight. pic.twitter.com/szsZiHf0ku
— /r/CollegeBasketball (@redditCBB) March 15, 2018
The "FINAL FOURS NOT FIRST FOURS" banner is offic...

Joel Embiid plays like a star on the court, and he has the attitude to go with it.
The Philadelphia 76ers big man was tasked with defending New York Knicks point guard Emmanuel Mudiay for a play during Thursday’s game between the teams. Given their respective sizes, one would figure Mudiay would have an advantage in the mismatch. Instead, Embiid hung with him despite being beat to the basket and got a block:
Embiid trying to melt Mudiay into the hardwood with this staredown pic.twitter

Georgia on Thursday hired Tom Crean to replace Mark Fox as their head coach. Now it looks like Fox is close to finding a new gig.
Colorado State reporter Justin Michael reported on Thursday that the Rams are negotiating with Fox to make him the program’s next head coach.
NEWS: Multiple sources stated that Colorado State & Mark Fox have begun conversations regarding Fox becoming the next head coach of the Rams. Fox spent nine seasons at Georgia and made 2 NCAA Tournament appearances. CSU

The NFL season coming to an end may not mean the end of the supposed power struggle within the New England Patriots organization.
NBC Sports Boston’s Mike Giardi tweeted on Thursday that Bill Belichick has been making some of the top Pats players like Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady “miserable.” He also says a lot of the issues revolve around the Alex Guerrero problems.
Someone who "knows" is watching our show tonight. Source says Bill is making "planet players" miserable and ye

Trae Young’s freshman season is officially over, and next up for him is the NBA. Or maybe not.
Young’s Oklahoma Sooners lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday to Rhode Island, which ends their season. The freshman sensation scored 28 points with seven assists and made 50 percent of his shots.
Young had a stellar start to his freshman year and averaged 27.4 points and 8.8 assists per game this season. The great start and all the publicity that came with it led ma

Tom Crean is heading to the SEC.
Crean finalized a six-year deal with Georgia that will pay him $3.2 million per season. The Bulldogs had a vacancy after firing Mark Fox, who struggled to live up to expectations in his nine seasons on the job.
Crean coached at Marquette and Indiana for nine seasons apiece. At Marquette, his teams reached the NCAA Tournament five times, made the Final Four once with Dwyane Wade, and finished the season ranked in the top 25 four times. At Indiana, Crean took four

Ndamukong Suh has at least two free agent visits planned and may take some time choosing his next home, according to a report.
Suh, who was released by the Miami Dolphins this week, is set to visit with the New Orleans Saints on Friday. After that, he will meet with the Tennessee Titans and then perhaps others, according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Former #Dolphins DT Ndamukong Suh may take his time now that he's a free agent again. Along with his #Saints visit, source said he's set...

The Baltimore Ravens are expected to turn their focus to wide receiver Michael Crabtree after Ryan Grant failed his physical.
Baltimore had agreed to a four-year, $29 million deal with Grant, who had 45 catches for 573 yards and four touchdowns last season — all career-high marks. But then Crabtree became available after the Raiders released him following their signing of Jordy Nelson.
With WR Ryan Grant out in Baltimore, Ravens now are expected to focus on former Raiders' WR Michael C...

Jimmy Butler has some time on his hands now that he is rehabbing his knee injury, and he is putting it to good use.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star zinged Carmelo Anthony on Instagram with a funny comment Wednesday night.
Anthony, who led Syracuse to the 2003 national championship, congratulated his alma mater for beating Arizona State (James Harden’s alma mater) in a play-in game on Wednesday night.
Jimmy Butler's comment on Melo's Instagram pic.twitter.com/W2lxjmLF8Y
— S

One of the best parts about watching the NCAA Tournament is seeing new heroes emerge. For Rhode Island, that included one of their bench players who went viral for some awesome celebrations.
During the team’s game against Oklahoma on Thursday, one of Rhode Island’s players went viral for doing this great travel dance:
Rhode Island's bench gives us the new travel dance (r @Lizzs_Lockeroom) pic.twitter.com/uyDSAqqgiP
— CJ Fogler (@cjzero) March 15, 2018
Then he did this af

Doug Martin had an extremely disappointing last two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the team released him, but the veteran running back now has an opportunity to revive his career under Jon Gruden.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported on Thursday that the Oakland Raiders have agreed to a deal with Martin.
The #Raiders have agreed to terms with former #Bucs RB Doug Martin, source said. Jon Gruden locks in running back depth and Martin gets a second chance.
— Ian Rapoport (@Ra

Fans who watched the opening round NCAA Tournament games that were held in Boise were left very frustrated over the positioning of certain television cameras inside the Taco Bell Arena.
The negative buzz began during a game between Gonzaga and UNC Greensboro that aired on TNT. For starters, it looked like the action was being filmed from the rafters. Making matters worse was that one of the baselines was painted the same color as the rim, which made the basket almost impossible to see.
Anyone

Legendary college baseball coach Augie Garrido died on Thursday after being hospitalized following a stroke suffered over the weekend.
Garrido was 79 years old and was the head coach of the Texas Longhorns as recently as 2016. He won five College World Series and nearly 2,000 games during his head coaching career, which spanned nearly 50 years. He won College World Series in four different decades and is the winningnest coach in college baseball history.
Garrido coaches Cal State Fullerton from